Well, here goes.. I got this car as a temporary car until I can find something better, and I actually like it. Here are the problems that I need to fix.

1. Wobbly brake rotors.. I have done this before on a Crown Vic, I'd imagine its quite the same.

2. Power steering pump is LOUD. Going to run some conditioning stuff through it and flush it. Any more suggestions?

3. Radiator has a small leak somewhere... I can't tell where exactly it is.. but I will start by replacing the hoses. If it is the actual radiator would you waste your time with the radiator sealers? They have worked for me before, but I'd rather get a 2nd opinion. I'll flush it several times of course.

4. The power door locks in the back seat do not function.. The motors just make a loud noise as if they are slipping. I have some experience here and will probably just rip it apart and see whats going on. Anybody know where to find an electrical diagram for this car online?

4. The drivers switch for the rear windows does not function. I can, however control the passenger window.

5. The engine stutters and bogs down (hesitation) at stoplights/signs sometimes. I would imagine cleaning/replacing the ignition stuff (cap, rotor, wires, plugs, etc) would remedy that.. I will probably try replacing the plugs and doing the timing first. Any ideas?

Other than those things, the car is great.. Runs very well.. transmission shifts great. Has around 144k on it. Is there any other recommended tune-ups that you would do to a recently purchased car in need of TLC?

Well, here goes.. I got this car as a temporary car until I can find something better, and I actually like it. Here are the problems that I need to fix.

1. Wobbly brake rotors.. I have done this before on a Crown Vic, I'd imagine its quite the same.

SHould be the same and shoul dnot have issues with it i fyou have done it before.

Quote:

Originally Posted by micaheli

2. Power steering pump is LOUD. Going to run some conditioning stuff through it and flush it. Any more suggestions?

The "whine" noise comes from hydraulic fluid bypassing from the high pressure side back to the low pressure side thru scratches in the valve plate caused by wear particles. The "low fluid howl" is caused by air cavitation and is producing thousands of wear particles every minute which go on to erode the rest of the system.

If it is not really Loud I wouldn't worry about it. If you feel a heavy vibration when steering accompanied by the loud whine then it is definately bad and should be replaced. If it is just a slight whine it is most likely just something you'll have to tolerate.

If you decide to flush it and replace fluids I would put in an inline filter. You can get a filter kit from Ford that has some fittings hose and clamps for installing on a tranny. Your parts house has the filter alone but you will need a couple of clamps to insert it in the return line. Here are some part numbers.

3. Radiator has a small leak somewhere... I can't tell where exactly it is.. but I will start by replacing the hoses. If it is the actual radiator would you waste your time with the radiator sealers? They have worked for me before, but I'd rather get a 2nd opinion. I'll flush it several times of course.

I have never used any leak stop products. I usually just replaced the radiator core and tubes. It may cost a little more in the begining, but i have found that throwing parts over and over as well as quick fixes are more expensive in the long run.

Quote:

Originally Posted by micaheli

4. The power door locks in the back seat do not function.. The motors just make a loud noise as if they are slipping. I have some experience here and will probably just rip it apart and see whats going on. Anybody know where to find an electrical diagram for this car online?

Sorry dont have any sources of diagrams on the net that I know of. If you run across any please post them here.

Quote:

Originally Posted by micaheli

4. The drivers switch for the rear windows does not function. I can, however control the passenger window.

Replace the switch. They are known to go out and have shorts.

Quote:

Originally Posted by micaheli

5. The engine stutters and bogs down (hesitation) at stoplights/signs sometimes. I would imagine cleaning/replacing the ignition stuff (cap, rotor, wires, plugs, etc) would remedy that.. I will probably try replacing the plugs and doing the timing first. Any ideas?

Replace the plugs/wires. Clean as you have said. I would also run some injector cleaner through the system as well. I would gather that you probably have some gunk in the injectors. Another thing to look at is the fuel filter and pump. But I would just do the filter first out of those two. Cheaper and easier to replace.

Quote:

Originally Posted by micaheli

Other than those things, the car is great.. Runs very well.. transmission shifts great. Has around 144k on it. Is there any other recommended tune-ups that you would do to a recently purchased car in need of TLC?

Thanks,
--Micah

I would replace these on any high mileage car.

Plugs(30k), Air Filter(20k), PCV Breather Filter(30k), Fuel Filter(30k), Automatic Transmission Filter(15k), Plugs(100k), Distributor Cap & Rotor( if there is excessive wear, but have been known to degrade over time and higher mileage cars), Vacuum hoses and the assorted temp sensors throughout the engine.

that noise from the back locks is the units spinning freely ... the plastic clips that hold on to the actuators are broken ...... its a B*tch of a job to replace them ....

check the idle solenoid valve ( may be sticking ) and check the Alt voltage at the same time ( low voltage = wrong postion for the valve) at idle the output may be low and the voltage may be dropping ...

the leak may be from the block heater (if installed) on the backside of the motor (between it and the tranny )

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